Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a sergeant or bailiff, esp. one who arrests for debt.

c.1367–86		Langland Piers Plowman (B) XVIII line 46: Crucifige, quod a cacchepolle I warrante hym a wicche.
1512		Hickscorner Aiv: We played the pyrdewy I wote not what we dyde togyder But a knaue catchpoll nyghed us nere And so dyde us aspye.
1515		Cocke Lorelles Bote Bii: Crystofer catchepoll a crystes course gaderer, And wat welbelyne of ludgate Iayler.
1538		J. Bale Comedye Concernyng Three Lawes (1550) Act II: With balyues and catchpolles to holde hym downe.
1576		G. Gascoigne Steele Glas Eiiii: Make not the catchpol, rich by thine arrest.
1582		Long Meg of Westminster 12: I’ll learn thee to arrest a man in our house, I’ll make thee a spectacle for all catch-poles.
1596		Nashe Have With You to Saffron-Walden in Works III (1883–4) 13: Thou wilt be as ready as any catchpoule, out of all scotch & notch, to torment him, & deal as snip snap snappishly with him, as euer he was delt withall.
1603		Dekker Wonderfull Yeare 45: Feare and Trembling (the two Catch-polles of Death) arrest euery one.
1613		Dekker Devil’s Last Will and Testament F: It was a Morall Masque [...] set out at the cost of certaine Catch-pols [...] That name of Catch-poll is spitefully stucke vpon them. [Ibid.] F2: A Catch-poll is one that doth both catch and poll.
1614		Jonson Bartholomew Fair III v: We are no catchpoles nor constables.
1620		J. Melton Astrologaster 35: Penurious as the Irish Catch-pole, that will feed his Dogges with Rabbets in Lent, while he sits eating a piece of poore John.
1628		J. Earle Micro-Cosmographie No. 38: A Sergeant or Catch-pole is one of Gods Iudgements; and which our Roarers doe onely conceiue terrible [...] for hee is at most but an Arrester, and Hell a Dungeon.
1633		T. Heywood Eng. Traveller IV i: I was afraid some Catchpole stood behind me, To clap me on the Shoulder.
1655		J. Cotgrave ‘A Rapture’ Wits Interpreter (1671) 231: Then if the Catch-pole chance to hale, And drag me to the loathsome Gaole; There may your servant die and rot.
1657		T. Jordan Walks of Islington and Hogsdon Prologue: A Catchpole that arrested his own father.
1667		R. L’Estrange (trans.) Visions of Quevedo 21: From Catchpoles as well as Devils, Libera nos Domine.
1672		J. Phillips Maronides (1678) 144: He Sarjeants and his Catch-poles, they / Were certain Monsters, th’ugliest Rogues.
1682		Mennis & Smith et al. ‘The Blacksmith’ Wit and Drollery 223: Though Bankrupts lye lurking in their holes, / And laugh at their Creditors, and Catchpoles, / Yet your Smith can fetch ’em over the Coals.
1696		Motteux (trans.) Gargantua and Pantagruel (1927) II Bk IV 295: They all drank to one another, and especially to the catchpole.
a.1704		T. Brown Comical View of London and Westminster in Works (1760) I 146: Catch-poles up early to seize their prey against the first day of the term.
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy III 22: [as cit. 1682].
1723		‘Whipping-Tom’ Democritus III 26: Some People said the Half-hang’d Catchpole smelt sweet of Mace; but I thought he stunk worse than Assa Foetida.
1733		Laugh and Be Fat 52: The ravenous CatchPoles, (those Blood-Hounds, or Jack-Calls, who hunt down the Prey for that tyrannick Beast, a Usurer).
1748		Smollett Roderick Random (1979) 128: ‘I am not the person whose name is here mentioned; arrest me at your peril.’ – ‘Ay, ay, Madam,’ (replied the catch-pole), ‘we shall prove your identity.’.
1751		Smollett Peregrine Pickle (1964) 686: The catchpole, rather than risque his carcase, consented to discharge the debt.
1765		H. Brooke Fool of Quality I xiii: The Levee of Duns at your Gate, and the Catchpoles that lurked for You at every Corner.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
c.1790		‘Peter Pindar’ ‘Odes to Kien Long’ Works (1794) III 309: A bailiff in disguise one day [...] Conceal’d, the catchpole thought, with wondrous skill.
1797		M. Leeson Memoirs (1995) III 205: This buck was snaffled by two Catchpoles.
1807		Irving & Paulding Salmagundi (1860) 241: City Hall, famous place for catch-poles, deputy sheriffs, and young lawyers.
1819		Beppo in London x: A captivating fellow, Who’d laugh at catchpole and his awful rap.
1822		‘A. Burton’ My Cousin in the Army 312: ‘Before this money’s paid, Sir, I Should like to ask the catchpoles why,’ The bailiff answered — ‘Don’t you know The plaintiff David Noddledoe?’.
1838		W.N. Glascock Land Sharks and Sea Gulls I 105: ‘There’s your lodging to-night,’ said the sneering catchpole, pointing to a ‘spunging-house’.
1839		(con. 1703) W.H. Ainsworth Jack Sheppard (1917) 41: Them’s catchpoles [...] arter the gentleman with a writ?
1843		T. Hood ‘Defaulter’ Works (1862) VI 197: I suppose, sir, because he has less for a catchpole to lay hold of?
1859		G.A. Sala Gaslight and Daylight 145: You are brought there by a catchpole, and kept there under lock and key until your creditors are paid.